Liams



W. R. WILLIAMS.

VEHICLE SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 22. 1912.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET I n 0 t w v V m W. R. WILLIAMS.

VEHICLE SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED 1AN.22. 1912.

1,42 ,529, r Patented Aug. '22, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

In men tor:

W. R. WILLIAMS.

VEHICLE SUSPENSION.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-22.1912.

Patented Aug. 22, 1922.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

MM I11 ventor;

I Atty follow.

\VILLIAM WILLIAMfS, 9F NEW YORK, N, Y.

VEHICLE SUSPENSION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Ari 22, 1922.

Application filed January 22, 1912. Serial No. 872,768.

To all whom it may concern:

F it known that I, YVILLIAM VIL- IJAius, a citizen oi the lf nitedStates. and resident of" New Yorlr, county and etc of New York, haveinvented certain Improve ments in Vehicle Suspensions, of which the igis a so. icanon.

The invention rcla to vehicle suspensions; and, while it may be appliedto vehicles generally, it is particularly applicable to ro d vehiclesoi": heavy wight and designed to more at high speed, as motor cars.

Objects oi? the invention are to provide an improved form of vehiclesuspension in which the degree of action of the elastic elements orsprings may be greatly increased without in any degree decreasing thestability of the vehicle; which shall be simple,

durable, and economical in construction and highly eitlicient inoperation; and whose parts shall be. few, accessible, and easy orapplication. These and other objects of the invention will in part beobvious and in part be more fully explained in the followingdescription.

The invention consists in the novel improvements, parts, combinations,and fea tures of construction herein shown and described.

In the accompanying drawings, which are referred to herein and form parthereof, are illustrated several embodiments of the invention, the sameserving in connection with the description herein to explain theprinciples of the invention.

Of the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the chassis of a motor car, showing anembodiment of the invention applied thereto;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, taken on the line 2--2 of Fig.1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of a detail, taken on the line 4:-.t of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4: is a perspective view of a detailof the fastening member shownat the right in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a plan view or the rear portion of a chassis, showing appliedthereto a modification of the embodimentillustrated in Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 7 is a rear elevation of the same, parts being broken away; I

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of a modification;

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a modili cation;

Ff 9 is a plan view of a modili ration;

. 10 is a side elevation oi? the same;

l and Fi 1.1]. is an elevation of a n'iodification.

R ...rring now in detail to the drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 achassis l l of a motor car of a common type. As ordinarily constructed.the car is provided with springs to give a certain degree of ease ofmotion to the vehicle. In order, however, to in sure thcstability of thesuspended portion or body oil the vehicle, these springs must be veryrigid. This rigidity constitutes a serious defect in motor vehicles inwhich ahighdegree of ease of motion is desirable but which is preventedby this rigidity of the. springs or elastic elements. In theconstruction illustrated in Fig. 1 the chassis 11 is mounted upon foreand aft springs which are respectively mounted at their inner ends inshackles 12, 13 attached to the chassisand which respectively bear upontransversely stable elements of support, as axles l4 and 15 in a usualmannerv and which are held from displacement by clips 16. The degree ofrigidity of the springs of the usual suspension above alluded to may berepre sented by the portions 17, 18 and 19, 2O oi. the respective foreand aft springs, as heretofore mounted. To give a desired. degree ofease of motion to the vehicle, when running at high speed or uponencountering inequalities of road surface, longer or more flexiblesprings may housed, the increase in length or flexibility beingrepresented by the portions 22, 23 and 24, 25 of the respective springs.With springs of this degree of flexibility applied in an ordinarymanner, however, while great ease o1 motion would be imparted, thesuspended portion of the vehicle would tilt laterally or sway from sideto side in a very dangerous man ner upon any shifting of the load orupon 100 encountering inequalities in the road surface.

This extreme length of spring or degree of action of the elasticelements can be employed, however, without any attending ex- 105 cessivelateral tilting of the body of the vehicle, it the vehicle suspension isso c0nstructed or arranged that the instability which, would otherwisebe caused by the addition of the extra springs or amplification 110 tothe portion 18 of the latter spr obstruction or depression affects onewheel of the elastic means,is eliminated by caus- 'ing portions oi O'p])OSl CQly disposed elastic the vi sion between the parts 17 and. and idand 23, respectively. It will also be noted, that tllG-OPPOS1t6 springsare thus 11 rlochcd and that as the member is lnfle. do. any strcommunicated, for instance. to the portion 17 ofthe spring will throughthe tendency of the member 27 to rotate he con'imunicatet to the portionof the spring: and also to the portion 23 of the opposite spring'but notw In other words, any stress imparted to one sprin is approximatelyequally imparted to the op posite spring with some coincident relaxationof the stable section of the latter spring, it

only. In this way approximately parallel motion will be maintained bythe suspended portion of the vehicle, the axle, or both,to

- the extent of movement due to the fleXin oi.

' vention illustrated and described the connecbe approximately parallel.

sections 22 and 23; and, while said body or aXlewill be free to movetogether and apart to a degree to insure the desired ease of mo tion,this motion will always to said extent As shown, the member 27 isrigidly Fa stoned to each m" the opposite springs by a member comprisinga plate 29 and yokes 80 in a usual manner. It

will also be noted that the forward suspen sion 1s,1n the embodimentillustrated, dunl1- cated at the rear, a rw'id bar 31 connecting:

the two opposite rear springs. Reach bars 33, connected each at one endto tl'ierotating member or, as 'showiuto the frame and at the otherendyto the axle maintain the longi tudinal positions oi? the respectiveaxles.

In the particular embodiment of the intion between the springs orelastic elements is described as being made with each SpIlllQf at thepoint marking the limit of fiexi ..i.l1 .v

or allowable spring action which can be given to the spring without aiiectinp; the equilibrium of the vehicle body. It should be noted,however, that the invention is notlimited to making the connection atthis point, assuch connection may bevmade at any point indicating apredetermined degree of ease of motion which it is desired to impart tothe vehicle without affecting its equilibrium. Under stress the so-called rigid" interlocking means becomes in effect a por tion of theelastic means. In Figs. 6, 7, and 8 is illustrated a modification of theinvention which can be conveniently applied to certain types of motarcars, as new constructed. In this embodiment of the invention, as shown,the member connecting; the springson o 'noosite sides of the car made inthe form of yoke, having a maincentral portion 42 extending transverselythe back of the chassis 11 and rotatably secured thereto in a suitablemanner, as by clips 4-3. Said yoke also arm portions ht extendingoutwardly and at riglitaiig'les to the and each oi? said arms has at itsouter end a slotted portion 45. in each slotted end 45 bolted adepending shackle 46,

and to each shackle is secured the outer end of one of a pair of springs48 which are ar-- ranged at opposite sides oi the chassis and secured attheir centers by yohes 4:9 to an I axle 50 and at their inner ends bybolts51 to the frame. lVhile in practice perfect transverse parallelmotion of a portion oi. the vehicle to the extent of movement due toauthird. amplifying spring, presently to be referred to, may not beobtained becaus of the construction of the mechanism, yet such motionshould be maintained appr'oxt mately parallel. The slots in the ends 45are extended to a suitable degree to compensate for the distortion. ofthe springs. To give additional ease of motion a spring 53 is arrangedtransversely of the vehicle between the shackles 4:6 to which it issecured at its ends by shackle and universal. joints 47, bc-' inp;secured at its center-by yoke 54? to aha-r 55 wl'rich is secured at itsopposite ends to the rearwardly projectinn bars 56 of the chassis. It isobvious that this suspension may be duplicated at the forward end of thevehicle, and that proper stops for the springs may be provided, as bythe frame ends.

Springs oi different form and. arrangement to which the yoke may beapplied are illustrated in Fig. 1.0 in which, instead of the horizontalsprings of Fig. 1, are shown vertically disposed helical springsarranged to act as. a unit. \Vhile these springs may vary in number and.arrangement and be united in a suitable way, as shown, three vert' allydisposed helical springs 61 are ard on one side of the vehicle and arearranged transversely of l the springs. These springs support on theirupper ends the body 1]. of the vehicle, and their lower ends aresuitably engaged by a member immediately above the axle 63 which'is alsoconnected to the vehicle by reach bar 64. Said springs and other membersare duplicated on the oppositeside of the vehicle, and between the twosets of springs on opposite sides of the vehicle extends a yokegenerally similar to that illustrated in Fig. 6 and r0- tatably securedor mounted in hearings on dly connected to a plate 62 horizontallybenoted that this is accomplished l'v' main taining between the elasticelemei s on the opposite sides of the vehicle, as shown the several setsof sprin s, the pre ctermined relation between the points of r marcationin the respective groups of springs bet-ween stability and instability,that is. the points marking the limits of flexibility in the springs,asheretofore used and asabove explained, at which the body of thevehicle would be stable when'moving at speed.

This idea is very clearly set forth in 8 in which the various groups ofsprings 61 are shown as'connected by a platform 62 at the said limitingpoints, the upper portions of the springs being designed to re ceiveaother platform, not shown.

It will be obvious that different modifications of the invention may beused together on the same vehicle, one modification being used, forexample, on the front of the vehicle and another modificz-ition at therear.

It will be observed that in the embodiments of the inventionhereinbefore illustrated and described the increased spring action givento the device has been imported by increasing the length of thesupporting springs. My invention, however, is not c fined to amplifyingthe elasticity of the device by so increasing the length of thesupporting springs but contemplates that such increase of the elasticelements may be eitfected by locating the means for effecting suchincrease at any desired place where stress communicated to anysupporting element may be transmitted by the rigid or interlockingmember to the means forming the amplification of the elastic means. Forexample, the degree of elasticity which heretofore could be given to anelastic element without affecting the aquilibrium of the vehicle andwhich herein'before has been represented by the portions 17, 18, 19, 20of the springs illustrated in Fig. l are in Fi s. 9 and 10 representedby the helical springs 17 18 and 19 and 20, respectively. It will benoted that these pairs of springs connected by rigid yoke members 65 and66, respectively. The said yoke as shown, has an inwardly extending bar67 which connects with a helical spring 68 so that any stresscommunicated, say to the spring 17 will be transmitted to said spring68, and the elasticity of the device is amplifi cd n" in the same manneras if the spring e increased in flexibility instead of the springs Inother words, .pi'ing t8 corresponds to and performs i ne function as theportions 22 and .3 :shown in Fig. 1. Similarly, provided with bar (59which 1 with a sprin '20 which bears the relation to the springs 19 and20 that the po l9 and ,.0 oi r p, K 1.

In order to emphasize the diversity of moiililications in which theinvention can be embodied, there is illustrated in the drawings, seeFig. 11, another modification in which a double connection isestablished between distinct elastic supporting elements. As here shown,the chassis 11 is supported at one end by a pair of supporting elementsarranged between the chassis and the axle 72 each said elementcomprising a pair of leaf springs 74 and 75 and a helical spring 7 6connected as by suitable blocks 78. The opposite elastic elements areconnected by diagonally crossed levers and 81 which are fulc-rumcd bypin 82. The lovers are suitably connected to the springs as by shackles83 which are pivotally mounted in the blocks 7 8 and which thus permitthe movement laterally of the levers 80 and 81. In this embodiment, thedegree of rigidity in the elastic supporting elements necessary tomaintain the equilibrium of the vehicle body is represented by the leafsprings 74 and 75 and the connecting members by the lovers 80 and 81,the increased flexibility permitted by the invention being representedin the helical springs 76.

It will be seen that a vehicle suspension constructed in accordance withthis invention will carry out the objects of the invention ashercinbefore mentioned, while possessing other advantages which will. beapparent to those skilled in the art.

The invention in its broader aspects is not limited to the preciseconstructions shown and described nor to any particular construction bywhich the same may be carried into effect, as many changes may be madein the details without departing from the main principles of theinvention and without sacrificing its chief advantages.

I claim:

1. In a wheeled vehicle, the combination with the body thereof and anaxle, of differential semi-elliptic springs interposed between said bodyand axle on opposite sides of the vehicle, a transverse shaft journaledin bearings of the body and rigidly'connected with the less flexibleportions of said springs, the latter having each a loose connection withthe axle at one end, and reachbars extending from the axles to theopposite ends of said shaft.

2. A vehicle suspension including leaf sections interposed between said.body springs composed each oftwo sections of unequal lengths arranged atopposite sides of the vehicle in cooperative relation with the bodythereof and an axle, and means adapted to transmit stress from one toanother of the shorter sections of said springs.

3. A. vehicle suspension including, in combination with the body. of thevehicle and an axle, leaf springs composed each of unequalsectionsvinterposed between said body and said axle at opposite sides ofthe vehicle, and a rocking member rigidly connecting said springsbetween the longer and shorter sections thereof from bearings onthebody.

4. A vehicle suspension including, in combination with the body of thevehicle and an axle, leaf springs composed eachof unequa an said axleatopposite sides of the vehicle, and a rocking member mounted inhearings on the body, rigidly connecting the springs between the longerand shorter sections thereof. 7

5. In a vehicle, the combination with the body thereof and an axle, ofleaf springs composed each of sections of unequal length located onopposite sides of the'vehicle, the

shorter section of each spring being attached at one end to the axlewhile the longer section of the same connects at the other end with thevehicle body, and a member on the body rigidly connected with saidsprings transversely thereof; I it v i a 6. In a vehicle, thecombination with the body thereof and anaxle, of a pair ofleaf springseach composed of sections of unequal length positioned on opposite sidesof the vehicle, and a transverse member on the body having rigidconnections with the springs between the sections thereof, whereby underrolling movements of the body the shorter sections of the springs areprevented

